Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Welcome back, adventurers! Today, we are taking on an epic undertaking that has been brewing in my mind for years: tracing the forgotten legacy of one of America's greatest railroads—the mighty Great Northern.
The GN, the brainchild of James J. Hill, was the only privately funded, successful transcontinental line in US history. It conquered mountains, carved paths through plains, and essentially built the American Northwest this forgotten relic and abandoned railroad is now simply forgotten by time.
But what happens when the tracks go silent?
We’re about to find out. I’ve charted a course to trek along 600 miles of its most historic and, frankly, the most remote sections and towns in America. I’m hunting down the forgotten ghosts of this giant, and all leads point toward one spectacular, impossible relic: A massive, abandoned roundhouse—the cathedral where these iron beasts were once worshipped.
I started where the pavement ended, and the gravel began. The first hundred miles were a master class in quiet decay. Tiny, forgotten grain elevators standing sentinel next to sidings that haven't seen a hopper car in forty years with unseen forgotten towns from centuries ago.
We found piles of square spikes, rusted to a beautiful burnt-orange, and the ghostly concrete foundations of long-demolished depots. Just stepping across these decaying lines, you can feel the energy of thousands of lives built around the rumble of steam. But the railroad didn't just leave behind small relics… she left behind giants.
Join me as I uncover forgotten history and lost settlements from Americas pioneer days along a transcontinental railroad long lost to history from a bygone era of ingenuity dating back to 1893. This is one you don't want to miss! Remember the destination is the adventure!
Welcome back, adventurers! Today, we are taking on an epic undertaking that has been brewing in my mind for years: tracing the forgotten legacy of one of America's greatest railroads—the mighty Great Northern.
The GN, the brainchild of James J. Hill, was the only privately funded, successful transcontinental line in US history. It conquered mountains, carved paths through plains, and essentially built the American Northwest this forgotten relic and abandoned railroad is now simply forgotten by time.
But what happens when the tracks go silent?
We’re about to find out. I’ve charted a course to trek along 600 miles of its most historic and, frankly, the most remote sections and towns in America. I’m hunting down the forgotten ghosts of this giant, and all leads point toward one spectacular, impossible relic: A massive, abandoned roundhouse—the cathedral where these iron beasts were once worshipped.
I started where the pavement ended, and the gravel began. The first hundred miles were a master class in quiet decay. Tiny, forgotten grain elevators standing sentinel next to sidings that haven't seen a hopper car in forty years with unseen forgotten towns from centuries ago.
We found piles of square spikes, rusted to a beautiful burnt-orange, and the ghostly concrete foundations of long-demolished depots. Just stepping across these decaying lines, you can feel the energy of thousands of lives built around the rumble of steam. But the railroad didn't just leave behind small relics… she left behind giants.
Join me as I uncover forgotten history and lost settlements from Americas pioneer days along a transcontinental railroad long lost to history from a bygone era of ingenuity dating back to 1893. This is one you don't want to miss! Remember the destination is the adventure!
